A passenger onboard a Malaysia Airlines flight was arrested after forcing the plane to divert to Sydney after he shouted at fellow passengers, "Are you slaves of Allah?" Dramatic video shows the man, identified as Mohammed, proclaiming that he is a "slave of Allah." Shocked crew decided to divert the flight back to Sydney.
He then challenges nearby passengers to echo his statement by claiming that they too are "slaves of Allah." The aircraft touched down in Sydney shortly before 4 pm and was positioned at the end of a runway, isolated from other areas while the remaining passengers were relocated to a different section of the aircraft.
Midair Scare
Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 departed from Sydney Airport at 1:40 pm for an eight-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur. However, the aircraft returned and touched down on the runway at 3:47 pm, as reported by Nine News.
According to a tweet from someone claiming to be on board, a person was reported to be "threatening staff and passengers," as noted by Nine News.
The tweet also mentioned that a passenger carrying a backpack had made threats about "blowing the plane up." Subsequently, the crew inspected the backpack and found no explosives.
A scared passenger described how the man created a distressing situation, DailyMail.com reported. The passenger recounted that the person unzipped his backpack, inserted his hands inside, and hinted at possessing something dangerous within it.
This was accompanied by loud screams, all occurring right beside the concerned passenger's seat.
Following the incident, members of the flight crew reportedly inspected the bag and concluded that there was nothing dangerous inside it.
The aircraft returned to Sydney. It was then placed in isolation at the end of a runway, while the remaining passengers were relocated to a different section of the plane.
The 45-year-old man, identified as Mohammed, was arrested by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) at around 7 pm. The other passengers on the plane were safely evacuated.
The AFP spokesperson mentioned that the person will be charged later tonight.
Flightmare
The video shows the man agitated. He then soon gets heated, pointing his finger at passengers and shouting at one: "Say it!"
A passenger who was on the flight tweeted saying that all the passengers had safely deboarded the plane and were currently in a lounge. The tweet mentioned that the police would be conducting interviews with everyone before providing further instructions.
A video captured inside the plane depicted the passenger in question being approached by a flight attendant.
A traveler on board the flight captioned the video: "Sydney Airport is suffering at the hands of this lunatic.
"Praying for everyone's safety and well being. Where is airport security?! It's been well over an hour since the plane has landed back!!!"
Another passenger wrote in a second video: "This lunatic is getting aggressive & poor people on board are still waiting for security to get in and take him to Allah through the right process.
"Sydney Airport is waiting for what?!"
The captain of a separate flight, which was originally scheduled to depart from Melbourne to Sydney, informed the passengers that their flight would be delayed for at least a few hours.
The flight originally left Sydney at 1:40 pm, but it returned to the airport and landed at 3:47 pm. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) were asked to meet the plane upon its arrival.
The plane departed Sydney at 1:40 pm, but it returned to the airport and landed at 3:47 pm. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) were summoned to meet the plane upon its arrival.
"In the interests of safety, the commander of the flight made the decision to return to Sydney," Malaysian Airlines said in a statement.
The statement added: "The flight, carrying 194 passengers and five crew onboard, landed safely at 3.47pm hours.
"The safety and comfort of our crew and passengers are of upmost importance to Malaysia Airlines."
